I must have heard the saying, “Toronto is too cool for Toronto” too many times to remember. I have had the privilege to DJ all over the Greater Toronto Area including, small towns and small cities like, Hamilton, Wasaga Beach and Windsor. The difference was night and day. It was something about the small town crowds that had a high level of energy that you could feed off the entire night. Don’t forget, this is coming from a guy who grew up in the big city, but I discovered the further you get from Toronto the more involved the crowd gets.
It was in 2011 when I had the PRIVILEGE to DJ at Bananas Beach Club in Wasaga Beach. No words can explain the energy these kids gave off. I wish every club in Toronto (besides the Guvernment, of course) could experience this type of crowd at their venue. It was just different. The general clubs in Toronto are filled with different types of people; the ones that mingle, the ones that smoke outside and the ones that dance, but the vibe is just not the same.
It was in 2012 when I held a residency at a club in Hamilton called Rok Bar, host of some of the world’s biggest DJs like, Hardwell, Tommy Trash and Steve Aoki. Rok Bar is definitely on the Top 3 of my favourite residencies. After a week of studying, you could expect a full house of college kids coming to give the DJ their undivided attention. It was finally their time to unwind and it was up to the DJ to show them a good night out.
In April of 2013, I was booked by a close friend to play an outdoor party for the Jean Vanier High School prom. Like any upcoming DJ/Producer, I was not super happy about playing a prom party, but beggars can’t be choosers. Little did I know I was in for a surprise of a lifetime. I actually did not have much information about this gig, minus the fact that it was on a field in Wasaga Beach. (I wasn’t even given an address, I was just given an intersection then told to look for trees with some sort of markings.)
We pulled up to the property to see kids tenting out on the grass along with a humongous tent, just like one of those festivals you see in Europe.
I immediately had goose bumps running down my spine. It was finally crunch time, and as the sun set, the tent filled up.
‘Til this day, when anybody asks me, “What was your favourite gig?”, I tell them it was a high school prom. These sixteen year olds partied with more energy than any other crowd in Toronto in my six years as a DJ. Don’t get me wrong, Toronto knows how to party, but the energy does not feel as organic.
Special thanks to: The Raghunan Family, Karn and Jean Vanier High School.
Written by: Zyad Suleiman
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